Michelmores Family Law Service

Civil Partnerships

Rights to property on separation

If you have registered your civil partnership and your relationship breaks down, you are treated in the same way by the law as heterosexual spouses for financial issues. The procedure and ability to apply for parental responsibility for children is no different either.

Ending a civil partnership

Rather than obtaining a divorce, a civil partnership is dissolved. The procedure is very similar to divorce - namely;

1. You have to have been civil partners for a minimum of 1 year.
2. Your civil partnership has irretrievably broken down by one of the following

• Your civil partner has behaved in such a way for it to be unreasonable to expect you to continue living together.
• You have lived separate and apart for 2 years and your partner consents to a dissolution.
• Your civil partner has deserted you for a continuous period of 2 years.
• You have lived separate and apart for 5 years.